7 weeks pregnant and need to sign contract for new job

[lhamo]

I have just been offered a job with a big and reputable company. I was not pregnant at the time I made the application but am now 7+ weeks pregnant and have just been offered the job, which I am due to start at the end of May. The baby is due in the middle of October.

I have just been sent a contract by the HR department which contains no information at all about maternity benefits/leave etc. I would assume that since I am due to give birth within the first six months of the job I would not qualify for most benefits, but it would still be good to know how much leave I would be entitled to legally from the company, and what my position is.

Obviously I don't really want to raise this subject with the HR department lest I raise their suspicions at this stage. I suffered a miscarriage last year, so I don't feel confident about this pregnancy just yet, and in any case as far as I understand it most people do not inform their employers until at least 12 weeks.

Are there any general laws that I should be aware of or any advice the other users might be able to offer? I'd be very grateful. I have to sign the contract soon.

You'd be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay as a minimum, anything else is a bonus. If you don't know the levels, have a look on Directgov.co.uk.

If you want to take the job (I would imagine your pregnancy would be a good reason not to leave a job with additional benefits), then go right ahead.

hairy is wrong I'm afraid - you won't be entitled to SMP as you would need to have been there for 26 weeks before you are 25 weeks pregnant, which obviously you won't have been.

You should be entitled to Maternity Allowance though, and regardless of how long you've been employed, all women are entitled to a year's maternity leave, see here - the only requirement is to be an employee.

of course, sorry for duff info.

Thanks so much for your help. In fact I am self-employed at the moment so I would not be losing benefits of any kind. It's good to know that there are benefits of a sort - time off work + maternity allowance - even though it seems I wouldn't be entitled to any financial assistance from the company.

Hi lhamo. I'm not sure what the company is like but as it's large you should be able to ask HR and request absolute confidentiality. You never know, they may offer you some benefits even though they're not required to (long shot, but worth a go).

Also, you aren't required to tell your employer about your pregnancy until 15 weeks before the EDD, as far as I am aware. I'd check that because I'm not 100% sure, but it is certainly long after the 12th week (if you still feel uncomfortable).

This is all very reassuring, thank you so much to you all!

This is all very reassuring - thank you so much to you all!

I am also pregnant and job hunting! It's really early (1 month in the pregnancy) and I'm having interviews. I know what my legal rights are, but I'm still nervous about telling my future employer (I'm quietly confident I'll get a job soon), that I'm pregnant. I'm thinking of saying that I didn't realise when I applied for and accepted the job. In any case I would wait until my 12 week scan. Any advise/ soothing words out there?

The advice above seems to be as good as it gets - that there are statutory rights which entitle you to a year's leave from the company, but you'd probably not be looking at anything more from then unless you were really lucky (ie a miracle). I'm nervous too about telling my future employers, but it sounds like that wouldn't have to happen for a while yet, so plenty of time to plan for that eventuality. Congratulations and try not to worry!

Some very good employers do offer their more than statory materity pay to all employees regardless of how long they have been there
However many employers only give details of this kind of thing in the staff handbook - you could ask for one of those maybe?
Thrilled and confused personally I wouldn't let them until you had a job offer its really early days.